Player Features

Republic FC continued additions to their defensive core earlier this month, welcoming defender Jack Gurr to Sacramento. After closing out 2021 in Scotland’s top tier, the Newcastle, England native brings a history of manufacturing offense from the backline which he’s showcased at all levels, from his amateur days at Georgia Gwinett College to his time in the Scottish Premiership. He featured in every match for Atlanta United 2 in 2020, and earned a contract with the MLS side last season before closing out 2021 with Aberdeen FC.

Ahead of Gurr’s Sacramento debut, take a look at some of his career accomplishments, by the numbers:

1 MLS appearance to his name. Following his professional debut with Atlanta United 2, Gurr earned a first team contract, signing on with the MLS side for 2021. He made one appearance with the club, logging 44 minutes in a 3-1 win over Chicago Fire.

2 First Team All-Independent Institutions selections in college. Gurr moved to the U.S. from his native England in 2014, joining the soccer program at Georgia Gwinett College. He became a regular quickly with the Grizzlies, scoring 14 goals and tallying 22 assists in four seasons to earn recognition as one of the best in NAIA.

3 assists tallied in 2020. Just as he did in his amateur days and in his time with NPSL club Georgia Revolution, Gurr impacted the offense with regularity in his debut pro season. In 16 appearances, he assisted three scores, while also putting in one himself.

10 appearances in Scotland in 2021. After changing clubs mid-way through 2021, Gurr reunited with his head coach from Atlanta United 2 – Stephen Glass – this time with Aberdeen FC in the Scottish Premiership. He made ten appearances in his tenure with the club, including time in the Challenge Cup and Europa Conference League Qualifying matches.

36 chances created in 2020. In addition to being a reliable defensive force, Gurr also finished the season as one of Atlanta’s top offensive players. He finished tied for sixth in the entire league in chances created from his position at right back, and with the highest mark of any defender in USL Championship play.

Last week, Republic FC officially welcomed Lee Desmond to the Indomitable Club after seven seasons in his native Ireland.

Desmond brings a ton of experience at many levels of the game to Sacramento’s back line, logging over 20,000 minutes in league and tournament play with his club sides, and making three U21 national team appearances since entering the pro ranks in 2013. He’s been an iron man for his clubs throughout the years, logging over 20 appearances in every season but an injury shortened 2016 and the pandemic shortened 2020.

In Desmond, Sacramento gets a defender strong in one-on-one situations and capable of moving up to help the attack night in and night out. This past season, the center-back emerged victorious in 75% of his one-on-one duels and played away 116 opposing threats. Throughout his career in Ireland, he disrupted opponents’ chances with nearly 500 interceptions – an average of just over five per match.

On offense, he tallied four scores and ten assists, and since 2016 has completed 84% of his passing attempts. That attacking presence from the back line will meld well with Sacramento’s existing defensive core, which generated regular chances on goal this past season. 

His experience in big competitions shines bright as well. He was named the Man of the Match in 2021’s FAI Cup Final, a contest that saw his squad secure the title for the fourth time in their history following a penalty shootout. Desmond helped lead St. Patrick’s Athletic to consecutive EA Sports Cup titles in 2015 and 2016, and he’s appeared thrice for his country’s youth sides, logging minutes in three international friendlies against Russia, England, and Norway in 2014 and 2015.

Sacramento only stands to benefit from Desmond’s addition come 2022. His presence in the back should further strengthen an already stout defensive unit in the Indomitable City, one ready to anchor a squad looking to return to the upper echelon of USL clubs on the pitch.

After a decorated college career, midfielder Giovanni Aguilar is set to join his hometown club for his debut season at the professional level. The Olivehurst, CA native adds another dimension to Republic FC’s attack in the midfield, where he hopes to stand out once again and contribute to first team success.

As Sacramento welcomes Gio to back to the Indomitable City, take a look at some of the numbers that have defined his soccer career through 2021.

2 seasons spent with Republic FC’s youth academy. In coming to Sacramento for 2022, Gio adds himself to the list of former academy players to feature for the first team squad. He initially joined Sacramento’s academy ranks for the inaugural 2015 season.

3 scores his senior season in 2021. Aguilar’s attacking productivity took the form of goals in the net this past fall, when he bagged three scores for the Matadors on a career high 19 shots. The mark was tied for first on his squad, and helped him secure Big West First Team All-Conference honors for the first time.

11 assists tallied throughout his collegiate career. The midfielder was a consistent presence in his college squad’s attack, distributing with regularity to create chances. When it was all said and done, Aguilar had assisted on 11 scores in his four seasons, leaving him just outside of the top-10 all time in career assists for the program.

70 – his ranking in the 2017 Top Drawer Soccer Top 100 Freshman. After a stellar first season at CSU Northridge, Aguilar garnered national recognition for his form over 21 appearances. That ranking also included a few highly regarded players who have moved on to USL or MLS Clubs.

72 – Aguilar’s total number of appearances amassed throughout his college career. Gio contributed immediately upon taking the pitch in college, missing just one match his freshman season en route to the first of three Big West Tournament appearances. He would miss just 11 more contests through his remaining three seasons, and start in all but one match he appeared in.

In his first season of professional soccer across the Atlantic, Dan Casey stepped into Republic FC’s backline and made his mark – on the field and in the stat sheet. In 2021, he became one of Republic FC’s key contributors – from leading defensive actions and marking in the top two for goals added, appearing in all but three matches and shutting down opposing attackers with ease on a weekly basis.

From start to finish, Casey’s leadership and consistency on the back line were continuously visible. He missed just three matches, and logged the second-most minutes of any player who suited up for Mark Briggs this season. The Irishman performed admirably in one-on-one situations, and perhaps more importantly, was instrumental in keeping things clean in the penalty box for Sacramento’s goalkeepers. He finished the season with 41 intercepted passes, illustrating well his ability to disrupt the moves of opponents looking to break lines and create opportunities.

Statistically, Casey was one of Sacramento’s best on defense, something Mark Briggs and his staff will be counting on him to continue in 2022. He led Republic FC in clearances and blocked shots, and by wide margins. His 98 clearances were nearly three times that of the next man on the list, and his 21 blocked shots were more than double the next player on the leaderboard at nine.

The defender even contributed a few offensive highlights, regularly finding himself in the middle of the action in set piece situations. Casey ranked first on the squad in successful passes, and also finished with the second highest goals added rating (6.68) of any player on the team. He put nine great looks on target for the season, highlighted by his first goal in North America on June 26, and nearly put in a spectacular equalizer from beyond midfield against San Diego on July 3.  

Looking ahead, the defender’s leadership and consistent dominance on the back line will be a big part of Sacramento’s quest for hardware in 2022. After all, he’ll be coming back to a squad returning a majority of its defensive core, which with a second season together should see tremendous benefits from Casey leading the way.

The 2020 season saw an 18-year old Hayden Sargis prove himself as a pro with Republic FC, starting all but one match in his first full season with the first team. This past year, the academy product made a statement with his reliability, showing he’s more than ready to remain a constant contributor to first-team success.

After signing a professional contract with Sacramento out of the club’s academy ranks, Sargis broke out in 2020, earning a nomination for USL Young Player of the Year. He started every match during the abbreviated 2020 regular season, logging 1,237 minutes and starting 14 contests.

Sargis’ second professional season saw him set career highs in appearances (18), starts (16), and minutes played (1,474), as well as tally his first career assist as a constant presence in Republic FC’s back line. En route to becoming the first Academy product to log 1,000 minutes in consecutive seasons, he also set a new record for starts in a season from a current or former academy player (16). He also finished second on the squad with 62 clearances, blocked eight shots, and emerged successful in just under half his one-on-one duels.

Alongside fellow returners Dan Casey and Duke Lacroix, the now third-year back looks to keep strong a Sacramento defensive unit that finished in the top half of the league in goals conceded (42) and logged six clean sheets. Even with part of his season spent recovering from an injury in September, his constant presence in 2022 should allow Sacramento to improve upon defensive excellence- Republic FC conceded more than one score just 12 times on the year.

As the calendar turns to 2022, Sargis appears set to continue proving the capability of both himself and other Academy products, who recorded record-setting success in 2021 by logging just under 4,000 first team minutes and combined for 121 selections. Looking forward to his second full season, his ceiling remains high.

This year, midfielder Mario Penagos became just the second SRFC Academy product to log 1,000 minutes in a season. With another pro season under his belt, the 19-year-old is ready to break out.

In his second professional season, Penagos set a career-high in appearances and minutes. He led SRFC Academy players with 21 total appearances (including 13 starts) – logging at least 60 minutes in 12 matches – and eclipsed the 1,000-minute mark for the season at San Diego Loyal SC on October 9. The Elk Grove native posted a 70.8% passing accuracy in 2021, the same success rate from 2020, but with over 300 additional passes. He also finished among the top five on the team with 73.5% passing accuracy in the attacking half and posted a career-high 10 shots.

Not only did Mario’s personal stats standout, but his play made an impact on overall team performance. In matches in which he played at least 30 minutes, the squad earned an average of 1.24 points – the third best among SRFC players. He also drew two fouls in the penalty box, with Cameron Iwasa converting on both.

Penagos signed his first professional contract with Republic FC in January 2020 following a remarkable five-year career with the club’s Youth Academy, where he netted 54 goals across 124 appearances. He made an immediate impact during preseason play, putting up an assist two minutes into his first appearance – and just a week later, he made his league debut in Sacramento’s opening game of the USL Championship season.

Later that year, he secured his spot in the SRFC history book when he netted his first career goal against Portland Timbers 2 on September 2. After receiving a pass from Cam Iwasa at the top of the 18-yard box, Penagos dribbled the ball past the last defender and skillfully put it out of reach for the Portland goalkeeper. The goal made Mario the youngest goalscorer in Republic FC history, until fellow Academy player Julian Chavez—who is just one day younger—scored nine minutes later.

Along with Hayden Sargis and Rafael Jauregui, Mario heads into the 2022 season representing a successful Republic FC Academy program. In 2021, seven Academy members logged 3,953 minutes for the first team – the most in a single season in club history – and were available for matchday selection 121 times. Since 2015, 11 Academy players have signed to professional clubs (including three to SRFC), 33 players have been called into national team programs, and over 40 players have joined Division 1 soccer programs.